ORIGIN

Stalled Project: 1956 Elva MkII Race Car

This 1956 Elva MkII race car is listed as a stalled restoration by the seller, who indicates this example is chassis number 100/60. It received a Coventry Climax engine and a new alloy body sometime during the ’80s, and is a late MkII produced just before the release of the MkIII. Find it here on eBay in Sunol, California with bidding at $39k and no additional reserve.

The alloy body reportedly was fabricated over the original chassis by a previous owner, according to a post here on the Elva Forum. Most panels appear to be well-formed using an English wheel and the visible welds look clean. There’s considerable work remaining, as the 18-gauge body has dents in the nose and tail and the generous coating of bondo used to smooth out the body should also be addressed.

The dash is relatively simple, with gauges for oil pressure and volts flanking the tachometer that sits front-and-center. The chassis tubing looks very complete. The seller indicates that the car has been stripped down to the tub, with running gear painted and detailed. A close inspection of the welds is probably in order, though, to make sure any vintage race won’t end prematurely.

The engine is a Coventry-Climax unit (#10513FVE-Loo/14D) that received a full rebuild and a set of Weber 40 carbs in place of the original twin SU’s. The brake and clutch master cylinders have been rebuilt and other items have been replaced including the track control ends and all rubber boots and fittings. A set of fabricated inlet manifolds was sourced from noted Lotus expert Mike Brotherwood in the UK.

It seems that this restoration project has a good foundation, with many of the headaches already sorted out. We’d get the body back into shape and the car back out on the track. Additional photos can be found here on the seller’s profile.

@ Sausalito Cynic: absolutely right–completely forgot the Courier, which certainly qualifies as a dual-purpose car. I’ll stand by my comments that this MK II was strictly a racer, but there is one notable exception among the Elva models.

So is the consensus this would be an 1100cc engine and probably an FWE or an FWA ? I did try to find some info using the engine # supplied, using Google, but had no success.

I too noticed the two SUs still seem to be in place, so I wonder what the deal with the Webers is.

I had a look at the one for sale for $80 K and I instantly recognized the body shape and it’s distinct lack of headlights.

I like the shape of this body with it’s headlights, but I am curious why the original restorer didn’t go with the way it left the factory. As someone pointed out a non-original looking may hurt resale down the road, but then again if it’s use is strictly for racing then maybe not so much.

I would like to see this car when it’s finished and all sorted.

@Ed L, thanks for your input, I was curious about the dual useage aspect for this Elva too. So none of that drive it to the racetrack, win your first heat, come second in the final and then drive it home again, eh ?

The engine number listed doesnt make sense, but i would guess that its an FWE based on the “FVE” given in the write up. It also appears to have the casting in the block for an oil filter, even though its been fitted witha remote set up.

Interesting car, and a decent price, but the body shape doesnt quite do it for me.

Well go away on vacation and up pops an Elva – The shop next door Jarno International could take care of all the issues – bodywork, welding, machining fabrication & assembly . This is very nice – simple car – great club and people – nicely priced IMHO . Alfin drums were cast by Elva at a local foundry to an Elva pattern. Frame looks correct and undamaged – rear end is De-Dion with Inbd brakes with a Spridget center – actually cool setup – Center section seems to be missing – Crosswaite & Gardner has a similar Lotus part (of course grinding off the Lotus and Adding ELVA script. On the road – you cannot believe how small this is in comparison to any other traffic – Father Frank would be “chuffed to bits” to see this back on the track – so would I

>I hope the engine got the rebuild because it definitely misses the twin Webers… It still has the SUs.

But if you did want to take it on the street, the SU may work better. That said, my Caterham ran great either autox or street on the DelOrtos; once I replaced the jets that liked to unscrew themselves…

Are those Buick aluminum finned drums for front brakes? I had those on my 1962 LeSabre, didn’t work all that great but it was a much heavier car. I heard that they were the bomb for late 1950’s racers.

The wet photo looks like something my wife would frown on when I admired it. But she would do the same if it was a wet college co-ed. I would still admire the picture of the hot co-ed.

Now the car. The seller appears very honest and detailed. Makes you feel that there is nothing that you don’t know. At the current price, makes me want to buy it just because I couldn’t lose. Well presented.

Elva didn’t make “dual-purpose” cars; they made race cars; these were never intended for the street. And as I’ve said before, all-out racers tend to make lousy street cars–even if you’re prepared to risk the car using it that way. So theoretically you could use this for a weekend road event, but I doubt you’d do it twice.

I so need something like this in my life. And it seems to me that when it comes to historic racing it isn’t particularly important to have the most competitive car in the field, but more to have something that looks great, is fun to drive, has some historical value and patina, and was good enough in comparison to its competitors in its day to ensure it doesn’t come dead last now. Definitely prefer this to a pristine Lotus XI

“I don’t know if the photo was striving for the wet look or just washing the dust off, either way its cheesy.”

I was hoping for a big-haired, bikini-clad college student communing intimately with an oversized sponge to complete the picture

Used to be a car sitting at a museum or facility of some sort in downtown San Antonio -in the 70’s maybe. I believe the facility burned. Don’t know if the car was in it at the time of the fire, but I recall the car being as beautiful and desirable as any I had ever seen. Don’t recall what it was, but in my imagination this could be it’s sister. Major league lust here for ’50s sports racers. Coventry climax very desirable.

At 40k it is a good deal if you don’t care about authenticity, but what are you really buying? A chassis? I mean it doesn’t have the original engine or body after all which is fine for racing, but as a collector’s piece?

First question that pops to mind. If it were mine, it would be spending a lot of time in a trailer, but I’m an autocrosser, not a racer, and sometimes it’s just more convent to drive short distances, or test out the car. Plus it would be a blast. Imagine the splash it would make at the Back To The Fifties Weekend (a little 12,000-car show we have here).

In Minnesota, I see very little problem getting this on the street. It has headights and taillights. Horn is a minor issue. I’m thinking Nautilus air-horn. Collector-class cars need no front plate.

I wouldn’t fix the dents or the like. Drive it. Love it.

Since storage isssues would make me have to sell the Elise, I’ll pass on this one.

When these cars were sold, they were considered to be dual purpose street and race cars. As such, it should be street legal as long as it has the safety requirements of your individual state (seat belts, lights, horn, etc.) It would be old enough to be emission exempt so you would typically have to apply for a tag, prove the car’s age and authenticity (you didn’t just build it), and have it safety inspected and then you are legal.

The wisdom of driving a 90hp 1200 lb car with no impact or rollover protection that is 38″ off the ground on the street is an entirely different discussion!

Lots of work required to make it race-ready but you will really have something nice when done. This car is really beautiful and much more attractive than the original body. On the other hand, the lack of originality might make it less valuable in the future.

I question whether this is a ’56 or ’57 which is my understanding of when the customer mk2 cars debuted.

He does not list the size of the Climax engine or any internals so if you want to race it you better learn about them before bidding. They originally came with 1100cc engines. You could update to a 1500cc but some race organizations would not allow it since that was not an original option. Most race groups would be thrilled to have it as an entry.

Despite sharing an engine and similar construction techniques, these cars were obsolete the day the Lotus Eleven debuted as they were much heavier, had drum brakes, and did not handle quite as well. Still, they can be competitive, they are less fragile, much rarer, and can get you into events like the Monterey Motorsports Reunion (Historics) at a much more reasonable cost.

I tried to make my MK3 street legal when I ran out of money for racing. Not a good idea. Very stiff suspension, didn’t maneuver well at slow speed due to locked rear, noisy, windy with no weather protection, got to speak to a lot of California Highway Police during impromptu roadside inspections, etc. This is really a race car, and remember, a used race car is a pile of iffy parts bolted together for easy transport. Just sayin…

I don’t know if the photo was striving for the wet look or just washing the dust off, either way its cheesy.

There is a small load of other pics of the car giving some decent detail, including several of the structure, a couple closeups of the rare engine, a couple informative shots of the bodywork, and the one that has you in a pretzel is the one showing the car being washed? Really?

A delightful car and great project for the right person. Will hope to see her dive through the corkscrew someday at Laguna. And condolences to the seller who will, at some point in the future, regret having let her go.

Elva (“She goes”) have a great racing history and pedigree. If the whole story here is correct, this could really be a great project for the right person. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time or the money right now to take it on, but it would be wonderful to see this done correctly and back on the track where it belongs. Calling Harvey Seigel…

Nice car – I often wonder if people think they are fooling anyone when they wet a car for photos. Usually makes me suspicious…

I don’t think there is a whole lot of fooling going on. The seller did state that not only has the car been reskinned, but there were several dents and dings, and there was a fair coating of bondo on it. When the seller says something like that, I’m not too worried about a bucket of soapy water shown with a wet car.

Hell, at the money he’s asking, this is not a bad BaT project at all. Elvas are rare, desirable, this one is pretty complete, comes with some hard to locate spares and the owner was able to trace out some of the history. At the thick end of 40K, you are well on your way.

Pretty nice. One of the nicer Elvas I can recall on BaT. And the price seems reasonable, considering the Turner I saw on eBay the other day. Also a nice car; but at a similar price, I think I’d lean toward this Elva, although the Turner is a complete car.